Butterfield Overland Mail in Arkansas and Missouri
Encyclopedia
The Butterfield Overland Mail
in Arkansas
and Missouri
was created by the United States Congress
on March 3, 1857, and operated until March 30, 1861. The route that was operated extended from San Francisco, California
to Los Angeles
, then across the Colorado Desert
to Fort Yuma
, then across New Mexico Territory
via, Tucson
and Mesilla, New Mexico
to Franklin, Texas
, mid point on the route. The route route crossed Texas to the Red River and into Indian Territory
to enter Arkansas at Fort Smith
. Fort Smith was terminal where the secondary route that crossed Arkansas
and across the Mississippi River
to Memphis, Tennessee
, met the main route that led northeast to Tipton
with the final leg by train to St. Louis. The Arkansas and Missouri mail route was one division, the 8th under a superintendent.
Butterfield Overland Mail
The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
was created by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
on March 3, 1857, and operated until March 30, 1861. The route that was operated extended from San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, then across the Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
to Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
, then across New Mexico Territory
New Mexico Territory
thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
via, Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
and Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla is a town in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,180 at the 2000 census...
to Franklin, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, mid point on the route. The route route crossed Texas to the Red River and into Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
to enter Arkansas at Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
. Fort Smith was terminal where the secondary route that crossed Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and across the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, met the main route that led northeast to Tipton
Tipton, Missouri
Tipton is a city in Moniteau County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,261 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Tipton is located at ....
with the final leg by train to St. Louis. The Arkansas and Missouri mail route was one division, the 8th under a superintendent.
Fort Smith to Memphis Route
- Charleston, ArkansasCharleston, ArkansasCharleston is a city in Franklin County, Arkansas, United States, and one of the two county seats of Franklin County. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- Paris, ArkansasParis, ArkansasParis is a city in Logan County, Arkansas, United States, and serves as the county seat for the northern district of Logan County; its southern district counterpart is Booneville. The population was 3,707 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Stinnett's Station
- Dardanelle, ArkansasDardanelle, ArkansasDardanelle is a city in Yell County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,228 at the 2000 census. Along with Danville, it is one of two county seats for Yell County...
- Norristown (Russellville, ArkansasRussellville, ArkansasRussellville is the county seat and largest city in Pope County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 27,920, according to the 2010 Census. It is home to Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Nuclear One, Arkansas' only nuclear power plant...
) - Pottsville InnPottsville, ArkansasPottsville is a town in Pope County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2000 census the population was 1,271. It is part of the Russellville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Pottsville is located at...
- Hurricane Station
- Lewisburg (near present-day Morrilton, ArkansasMorrilton, ArkansasMorrilton is a city in Conway County, Arkansas, United States, northwest of Little Rock. The town was home to Harding College, now Harding University of Searcy, Arkansas, for about a decade in the 1920s and 1930s. The population was 6,550 at the 2000 census...
) - Plumer's Station (Plumerville, ArkansasPlumerville, ArkansasPlumerville is a city in Conway County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 854 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plumerville is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
) - Cadron Station
- Atlanta (present-day Austin, ArkansasAustin, ArkansasAustin is a city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,000+ by 2010. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area....
) - Des ArcDes Arc, ArkansasDes Arc is a city in and the county seat of the northern district of Prairie County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,933 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Des Arc is located at ....
- Madison, ArkansasMadison, ArkansasMadison is a city in St. Francis County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 987 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Madison is located at ....
- Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
Arkansas Stations
- Fort Smith
- Van BurenVan Buren, ArkansasVan Buren is the second largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area and the county seat of Crawford County, Arkansas, United States. The city is located directly northeast of Fort Smith at the Interstate 40 - Interstate 540 junction...
- Woolsey's Station (also called Signal Hill)
- Brodie's Station (Lee Creek)
- Park's Station
- FayettevilleFayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
- Fitzgerald's Station (near present-day Springdale, ArkansasSpringdale, ArkansasAs of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
) - Callahan's Station (near present-day Rogers, ArkansasRogers, ArkansasRogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
)
Missouri Stations
- Harbin's Station
- Crouch's Station
- Smith's Station
- Ashmore's Station
- SpringfieldSpringfield, MissouriSpringfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
- Evan's Station
- Smith's Station
- BolivarBolivar, MissouriBolivar is the county seat of Polk County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,325 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Bolivar, Tennessee, home to many of the original settlers, and like that city its name is pronounced to rhyme with Oliver...
- Yoast's Station
- QuincyQuincy, MissouriQuincy is a small unincorporated community in northwestern Hickory County, Missouri, United States. It is located on Route 83 north of U.S. Route 54. A post office and a few homes are located there. The community was founded and probably named in 1848. Ramsay says it was probably named for U.S....
- Bailey's Station
- WarsawWarsaw, MissouriWarsaw is a city located in Benton County, Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,070. It is the county seat of Benton County. As of 2005, its estimated population was 2,268.-State and U.S. records:...
- Burn's Station
- Mulholland's Station
- Schackleford's Station
- TiptonTipton, MissouriTipton is a city in Moniteau County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,261 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Tipton is located at ....
See also
- Butterfield Overland Mail in CaliforniaButterfield Overland Mail in CaliforniaThe Butterfield Overland Mail in California was created by the United States Congress on March 3, 1857, and operated until June 30, 1861. Subsequently other stage lines operated along the route...
- Butterfield Overland Mail in New Mexico TerritoryButterfield Overland Mail in New Mexico TerritoryThe Butterfield Overland Mail was a transport and mail delivery system that employed stagecoaches that traveled on a specific route between Saint Louis, Missouri and San Francisco, California and which passed through the New Mexico Territory. It was created by the United States Congress on March...
- Butterfield Overland Mail in TexasButterfield Overland Mail in TexasIn Texas, the Butterfield Overland Mail service created by Congress on March 3, 1857, operated until March 30, 1861. The route that was operated extended from San Francisco, California to Los Angeles, then across the Colorado Desert to Fort Yuma, then across New Mexico Territory via, Tucson and...
- Butterfield Overland Mail in Indian TerritoryButterfield Overland Mail in Indian TerritoryThe Butterfield Overland Mail in Indian Territory was part of the overall Butterfield Overland Mail service created by Congress March 3, 1857. The route crossed Indian Territory from Colbert's Ferry to Fort Smith, Arkansas which was the Center for the Overland Mail's' 7th Division...